THE SHARK KIND. 219 



thofe whofe gills are more fimple, often feveral hours; or they can remain 

 continually under water, without taking breath. Some bring forth their 

 young alive ; and fome bring forth eggs. The young, while in the 

 body, continue in the egg till a very little time before they are excluded : 

 fo that thefe eggs they may properly be faid to hatch within the body. 

 The eggs confifl; of a white and a yolk. ; and have a fubftancc, inftead of 

 fliell, that may be compared to foftened horn. 



Cartilaginous fifhes may be divided, firft into thofe of the (hark kind, 

 with a body growing lefs towards the tail, a rough {kin, the mouth 

 placed far beneath the end of the nofe, five apertures on the fides of 

 tbe neck for breathing, and the upper part of the tail longer than the 

 lower. 



The next divifion is that of flat fifli; whofe broad, flat, thin (hape fuf- ' 

 ficiently diftinguifhes them. They may be eafily known from fpinous 

 flat filh, by the holes through which they breathe, which are uncovered 

 by a bone ; and which, in this kind, are five on each fide. In this tribe 

 we may place the Torpedo, the Skate, the Sharp- nofed Ray, the Rough 

 Ray, the Thorn back, and the Fire Flare. 



The third divifion is that of the (lender fnake-fhaped kind; fuch as ths 

 Lamprey, the Pride, and the Pipe Fifli, 



The fourth divifion is of the Sturgeon and its variety, the Ifing-glafs 

 Fifh. 



The laft divifion may comprife fifh of different figures and natures, 

 that do not rank under the former divifions. Thefe are the Sun Fifh, 

 the Tetrodon, the Lump Fifh, the Sea Snail, the Chimera, and the Fifh- 

 ing Frog. 



THE SHARK KIND, 



OF all the inhabitants of the deep, the fierceft and the mofl voracious. 

 The fmallefi: of this tribe is dreaded even by great fifh : but the 

 Great White Shark, which is the largefl, joins to the moit amazing ra- 

 pidity, the flrongeft appetites for mifchief: he approaches nearly in 

 fize to the Whale, far furpafTes him in ftrength and celerity, in thct 

 formidable arrangement of his teeth, and liis infatiable voracity. 



is 



